Workers, Unions and Allies Rally for Right to Organize in Minneapolis

(MINNEAPOLIS) — On Friday, Delta Air Lines workers and their allies in the labor movement rallied at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to demand that the company stop its anti-union propaganda campaign amid an organizing drive where as many as 45,000 people employed at the carrier are actively seeking to join unions. A video of the rally can be viewed here.

Mechanics and related workers are organizing to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; ramp, cargo, and tower workers are seeking to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM); and Delta flight attendants are organizing for representation with the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA).Last month, Delta shareholders rejected a proposal whereby the company would agree to remain neutral during a union organizing drive.

“Apparently, some of them don’t want this airline to go union,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “That’s too bad because it’s going union anyways.”

“Minneapolis is a union town! Delta Flight Attendants, fleet service, and mechanics are organizing to join their unions,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. “The workers at Delta won’t let the corporate leaders who come and go with their millions define who the airline really is. The workers are organizing to make sure their airline operates with open arms to the world and respect for everyone in it.”

“Delta workers in Minneapolis and across the country have made it clear: they want to join a union and have a voice in the workplace,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen.  “The choice to unionize is with Delta’s hard-working employees as they deserve the protections that come with a strong union contract. The IAM, Teamsters, and AFA-CWA urge Delta to stop their union-busting tactics and put people over profits.”

“Delta keeps posting significant profits quarter after quarter while turning to old-school union-busting,” said Delta ramp worker Dan McCurdy at the Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport. “Delta workers deserve a seat at the table to enjoy the fruits of their labor.” 

“Anyone at Delta Air Lines who is trying to interfere with the federally protected right to seek union representation – a right that people fought for and died for – should be ashamed of themselves,” said Joe Ferreira, Teamsters Airline Division Director.

The day before the rally, it was reported that Delta Air Lines had record-breaking profitability in the second quarter of FY2023, bringing in more than $1 billion in revenue after operating costs.

“That money should be going to technicians, flight attendants, pilots, ramp agents, and all the other workers who make this carrier so successful,” said Tom Erickson, Teamsters Central Region International Vice President and President of Teamsters Local 120 in Minneapolis. “Instead, it’s going to Wall Street.”

Delta Air Lines management has threatened employees with termination for union activities and continues to host an anti-union website and distribute literature that threatens workers that are seeking to organize. Delta also spent approximately $38 million to oppose a flight attendant union campaign in 2010. Its anti-union activities have caused brand damage, including broad media coverage of a 2019 anti-union flier that told employees to spend money on video games instead of union dues.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/teamsters.

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